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Ironclad "Huascar" (Peru)
Huáscar is a 19th-century small armoured turret ship of a type similar to a monitor. She was built in Britain for Peru and played a significant role in the battle of Pacocha and the War of the Nitrate against Chile. She is named after the 16th-century Inca emperor, Huáscar. TECHNICAL DETAILS: The Illustrated London News, Feb. 17, 1866, page 169, on the Peruvian ironclad turret.ship Huascar writes: Messers. Laird Brothers of Birkenhead have lately completed for the Peruvian Government an armour - clad seagoing turret-ship of 1200-tons and 300-horse power with a speed of more than twelve knots an hour on a draught of water of 16 ft., throwing a weight of broadside of 600 lb. from her turret, besides carrying two 40-pounder rifled guns on the quarter-deck. The dimensions are about 200 ft. extreme lenght 16 ft. breadth, 20 ft. deep, and 1100 tons measurement. The hull is of iron of great strenght, and is divided internally by bulkheads water-tight compartments, so as to inclose her turret, engines, boilers- all her vital points, in fact- in separate compartments. In addition to this provision for the ship's security, there is a double bottom under the engines, boilers, turrets and magazines, extending up to the lower deck. The armour plating is 4½ in. thick extending from her upper deck to 3½ ft. below the load water-line slightly tapering towards the bow and stern, to lessen the tendency to pitch in a sea-way, and rests on teak backing 10 in. thick. The accommodation for the officers and crew is a very superior description, well ventilated by means of skilights and side scuttles and there is free communication from one end of the ship to the other by iron sliding doors on all the water-tight bulkheads. The spaces in the store-room and magazines are ample for the stowage of six months provisions and ammunition. The turret is cylindrical in shape, covered with armour-plates 5½ in. thick and is placed before the engine-room, and is fitted with slides and carriages for two 12½ ton 300 pounders guns on the system of Captain Cowper P. Coles, R.N. The rig is that of a brig, the foremast being fitted as a tripod, on Captain Coles's patent, to give greater range of training to the guns in the turret. The engines are 300-horse power nominal, having cylinders 54 in. in diameter, 3 ft. stroke, driving a four-bladed screw-propeller, 14 ft. 9 in. in diameter, 17 ft. 9 in. Pitch. The cylinders have steam-jackets and improved expansion valves. The trials of speed made at the measured mile gave as the result of four runs a speed of 12'27 knots an hour. At the time of these trials the vessel was completed in every way, except guns and sea stores, and had one hundred tons of coal in the bunkers. The mean draught of water was 14 ft. 3 in.; the engines made seventy eight revolutions; pressure of steam, 25 lb., vacuum, 26 in.; indicated horse-power, 1650. The engines worked very well, and the boilers gave an abundant supply of steam. The ship was quick in answering her helm and her steering arrangements are excellent, having one wheel in front of the poop, and the second under the pilot-tower, forward. The Huascar has since been sent to sea, with her guns and all stores, and has behaved very well. HISTORICAL DETAILS: Commanded by Chilean Captain José María Salcedo, Naval Officer in Peru's service, who had supervised construction on behalf of the Peruvian Navy, she left for Peru on 17 January 1866 on a trip that saw some trouble: a month-long wait at Brest, a minor collision with the ironclad Independencia on 28 February, refusal of service by neutral countries, a month of repairs at Rio de Janeiro, insubordination by Independencia's commander and the capture and sinking of the Spanish brigantine Manuel. When she finally arrived in port at Ancud in allied Chile to join the rest of the combined fleet on 7 June, it was too late for her to participate in the conflict. Under Captain Lizardo Montero, Huáscar prepared at Valparaíso to participate in a late 1866 expedition to fight the Spanish fleet at the Philippines. However Montero, with several other Peruvian officers, objected to plans for Rear Admiral John R. Tucker–formerly a commander of Confederate warships during the American civil war – to be in command of the fleet, and requested to be relieved. Captain Salcedo took back command of Huáscar, but the expedition was eventually cancelled. In February 1868, Captain Miguel Grau took command of Huáscar and would remain until 1876, becoming her longest-serving commander. His long years aboard the ironclad would prove very valuable later and he would also become Peru's most renowned naval officer. PERUVIAN CIVIL WAR (1877) Huáscar participated in the Peruvian Civil War of 1877. Seized in port in Callao by rebels led by retired Captain Germán Astete, she was used to harass, sabotage and disrupt government forces and shipping lanes. During these actions foreign shipping was also affected, leading to British intervention. On 29 May 1877, she fought the Battle of Pacocha against two British vessels, the frigate HMS Shah and the corvette HMS Amethyst, commanded by Admiral de Horsey. This battle saw the first use in anger of the newly invented self-propelled torpedo which, at the time, had just entered limited service with the Royal Navy. Huáscar surrendered to the government after almost one month in rebel hands. Although controlled by rebels at the time, popular and press pressure on the Peruvian government resulted in a formal diplomatic protest to the British government for its attack on the Huáscar; the British Parliament, on the other hand, came close to censuring Admiral de Horsey for his failure to capture her. Huáscar gained fame in Peru, and would later reach legendary status. WAR OF THE NITRATE (1879-1884) Huáscar participated in the War of the Nitrate. Once again under the command of Captain Miguel Grau, she became famous for daring harassment raids on Chilean ports and transports. As a result, during the opening months of the war, the ground invasion was delayed for almost six months until the Chilean fleet could find and stop Huáscar. On 21 May 1879, Huáscar led the lifting of the Chilean blockade of Iquique. During the battle, Chilean Captain Arturo Prat, Skipper of the corvette Esmeralda, ''was killed on ''Huáscar's deck. After sinking the corvette Esmeralda ''by repeated ramming, ''Huáscar then rescued the survivors before continuing pursuit of the fleeing enemy ship Covadonga. Chilean powerless, determined to avenge the sinking of Esmeralda and to secure the logistic lines needed for the invasion of Perú, the Chileans committed every possible unit to hunt down Huáscar. During the next 137 days Huáscar not only evaded the confrontation with the enemy fleet (following orders from the Peruvian Government) but made the coast unsecure for Chilean transport ships. Its biggest prize was Chilean transport Rímac with 260 men of the line cavalry regiment "Carabineers of Yungay". On 8 October 1879, Huáscar was captured by the whole Chilean Navy at the Battle of Angamos, during which Rear Admiral Grau and 32 men of the crew (of total 200 men) were killed. Huáscar then entered the service of the Chilean Navy. At Arica she fought a duel with the Peruvian monitor Manco Cápac (formerly USS Oneota), being defeated by the Peruvian old river monitor, while participating in the bombardment of the city –where her new commander Manuel Thomson was killed– and she also aided in the blockade of Callao.